AN OPINION poll has for the first time put Reform UK in second place for both constituency and list votes for the Scottish Parliament.

Analysis of the poll today forecasts Nigel Farage’s far-right party could win 22 MSPs, becoming the second-largest group in Holyrood.

The SNP would win 55 MSPs, according to the modelling, with Labour on 19, the Conservatives on 12, the Liberal Democrats on 11 and the Greens on 10.

The poll, reported in the Herald on Sunday, was carried out by Survation for the IPPR Scotland think tank.

In the constituency vote, it judges the SNP leads on 34 per cent, followed by Reform on 22 per cent and Labour on 18 per cent. The Tories are on 10 per cent, the Lib Dems on 8 per cent, the Greens on 7 per cent and Alba on 1 per cent.

Director of IPPR Scotland Stephen Boyd said: “I think there’s a lesson there, certainly for the Tories and Labour: if you want to take Reform on, then you don’t take them on on the territory on which they are strongest.”

He said they should instead focus on a “serious, progressive policy agenda” that exposes Reform’s lack of policy.

SNP Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson commented on the poll on Twitter: “SNP retains 12-point lead ahead of Holyrood election while Labour falls to third place behind Reform. Vote SNP: Stop Farage.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “The next election is a direct choice between a third decade of this tired and out-of-touch SNP government and a new direction with a Scottish Labour government.”